Chapter 11: Promise

As the empire's youngest princess, I knew I could easily get everything I wanted. I could just ask the king and queen, and no question asked, they would quickly grant every wish that I had.

It was a blessing for everyone— but to me, it's something that always gave me limitations to grow.

I sighed.

I slumped my right cheek on the table while I lazily blew the pages of an opened book.

Who would have thought that my brothers would go outside and become the public market vendors? I even heard Lily scold Evan for selling his jewels at a lower price.

When would I see Livius again?

While I was lazing out on my table, I could see how Casper was engrossed in the thick book in his hands. He was like Dastan and Evan. They're all boring.

There was always a time in the day that I'd spend with Casper studying inside a room. Our teacher just left leaving us with so many books to read.

I knew that Casper had his adventures too, but did our brothers tail him as well?

"When are you going to come out again?" He asked.

My lips prodded. I got up. "I don't know. Everyone's so silly! Hindi mo naman sinabi sa kanila na lalabas ako? I thought we're partners, Casper?"

Tumigil siya sa pagbabasa ng libro at lumingon siya sa akin. "We are, Harper. I don't have any idea that you're going outside."

Nanliit ang mga mata ko sa kanya. "You're lying."

"No. I heard it from Zen. Nagsusumbong siya kay Dastan."

I gasped. "Si Zen?"

Casper rolled his eyes. "He may look unaware, but he's been aware of everything. Siya ang higit na nakalalabas ng palasyo. He's just not involving himself in formal meetings. Dastan and Zen are partners in crime. Always remember na matagal sila ni Dastan naging magkasama bago pa dumating si Lily."

Nag-iwas ako ng tingin kay Casper at napatitig ako sa nakasabit na larawan namin sa pagitan ng nagtataasang mga aklatan.

It was an oil painting of our family portrait. My brothers were dressed in their red and gold suits, while Lily, my mother, and I were in white. Lily and I were smiling so sweetly with Mother's timid smile between us.

Maganda rin ang ngiti ni ama sa likuran ni ina habang nakahawak siya sa balikat nito. Katabi ni ama sina Dastan at Zen. Dastan was not even smiling while Zen's looking away.

Ngumiwi ako. "Didn't the painter try to fix it? At least, he'd try to make Zen look at the front."

Tumanaw na rin si Casper sa painting naming magkakapatid. "It's hard to imagine Zen's smiling face, Harper. Can't you remember? Ilang beses na hinawakan ni ama ang ulo niya, lumiliko pa rin."

Unlike Zen and Dastan, Caleb, Finn, and Evan smiled willingly like us. Si Casper halatang napilitan lang din ngumiti.

I sighed again. "They are so silly, Casper. I was just trying to play outside."

"If you think that you can outsmart them in some situations, think again, Harper. You can't deceive our brothers. You're still young. We're still young. But—" Napalingon na ako kay Casper.

Ngumisi siya sa akin at isinara na niya ang kanyang aklat. "We'll get there."

Hindi ko mapigilan tumalon sa upuan ko at tumakbo na ako patungo kay Casper. I kissed his cheeks. "You are really my favorite brother!"

***

I spent my years sneaking out of the castle, playing with the commoners' kids. Dati ay madali kong nalalaman na nakasunod sa akin ang mga kapatid ko, ngayon ay higit na silang maingat. Hindi na rin sila sabay-sabay na sumusunod sa akin dahil may kanya-kanya na silang araw. Pero ang madalas magpalitan lang ay sina Zen, Caleb, Finn at Evan.

Livius and I were sitting on the old wagon. Hindi naman iyon umaandar dahil kalalagay lang nga mga produkto rito at mamaya pa raw dadalhin sa palasyo. We were eating a huge candy on stick again.

"The enlistment will start next month. Are you going to enlist?" I asked excitedly.

I was happy to know that Livius would be one of our knights, and I'd see him more on the castle grounds, but I couldn't help but be afraid to see him in a different light. He was already happy and free-spirited. What would be of him if the castle claimed him and dressed him in metal?

"L-Livius?"

"Oh . . . yes! I will enlist myself." Pilit siyang ngumiti sa akin.

As much as I wanted to see him in the castle, as his friend, I could feel his hesitation. It has been customary for thousands of years to receive thousands of enlistments every year, young vampires such as Livius from commoners' blood were forced to dedicate their lives to the empire.

I'd heard how Father tried to stop this as the king of the empire of Parsua Sartorias, but this movement would be a great threat to the security of the empire. Lalo na't maraming gustong sumakop sa Sartorias.

Napayuko ako at naibaba ko ang hawak ko. Hindi ko masalubong ang mga mat ani Livius. Because this had been the reality of our lives, ako bilang maharlika na nagagawa ang lahat ng gusto ko at ang mga kasing-edad ko na naninirahan sa labas ng palasyo.

FLASHBACK

I suddenly remembered how I sneakily watched my brother's training with my father. It was that night when everyone's sound asleep after a celebration. I sleepily walked barefoot in the dark hallway of our castle.

"Shit shit! I am late! Father will kill me!"

Hindi ako napansin ni Caleb sa dilim nang makita ko siyang tumalon sa bintana ng palasyo.

"Caleb!"

Hindi na niya ako narinig kaya nagmadali akong tumakbo patungo sa bintana para tanawin si Caleb. Ilang beses pa akong patalon-talon sa posisyon ko para makita niya.

"Where is he going?"

Ilang beses akong tumingin sa paligid at ngumisi ako. Hindi kagaya ni Caleb na nagagawa na niyang tumalon sa bintana, tumakbo na ako mula sa pangatlong palapag patungo sa pinaka-ibaba.

Before I left the shadows, I could see the knights guarding our door. I gave them a lullaby. Sabay bumagsak sa sahig iyong mga kawal.

I got scared, that's why I knelt in front of them and tried to listen to their heartbeats. Napapalakpak ako nang marinig kong tumitibok pa naman ang puso nila.

"Bye bye! Lagot kayo kay father mamaya!" Tumatawang sabi ko habang tumatakbo palayo sa palasyo.

I followed Caleb's scent until I reached them. I quickly hid behind the bushes as I sneakily watched Father and my brothers except for Casper. Father was still dressed in his usual long robe, while my brothers were half-naked with bruises on their bodies. I could even smell their blood.

Father's hands were clasped behind him while my brothers were rounding him. I covered my mouth when Zen and Caleb attacked at the same time, but Zen got a punch in his stomach that sent him flying up, and Caleb had a kick on his arm, his body was on the trunk of a huge tree.

Hindi man lang gumagalaw sa posisyon niya si ama habang halinhinan ang mga kapatid ko sa pag-atake. It was purely physical without any weapon, but father was really powerful.

I'd witnessed how my brother sparred with other vampire knights of the empire, but no one could surpass them, but Father could single them without a scratch.

Caleb spat his own blood. "Ang daya ni Dastan, minsan lang umatake, ayaw magalusan!" Reklamo ni Caleb.

"Are you an idiot? Father has been giving Dastan heavy attacks. We should probably call some healers. You're breaking his ribs, Father." Sagot ni Evan.

Nakasandal na si Dastan sa puno at nanatili lang siya kay ama na kaswal pa rin nakatitig sa kanya. Halos nakahiga na sa lupa ang lahat ng kapatid ko, si Caleb lang iyong unang bumabangon.

Ngunit hindi rin nagtagal ay muling umatake sina Caleb, Zen, at Evan ng sabay-sabay. Sa pagkakataong iyon, gumalaw na si ama sa posisyon niya. Sunod-sunod na tinamaan sa batok ang tatlong kapatid ko dahilan kung bakit bumagsak sila sa lupa.

Napaatras si Finn at ilang beses umiling. "Are they still alive?"

Nahihirapan tumayo si Dastan, lumingon sa kanya si Finn at tumango sila sa isa't isa. I thought they would not use any power, but Finn used his.

"Hindi kami papayag na hindi kami makakatama, Ama!" Sigaw ni Finn.

Biglang dumami si Finn, inilabas ni Dastan ang espada niyang gawa sa dugo at dalawang kamay niya iyong hawak habang tumatakbo patungo kay ama. Sunod-sunod tumakbo at umatake ang napakaraming Finn habang binibigyan ng daan si Dastan. Pansin ko sina Caleb, Zen, at Evan na nakalugmok sa lupa na bahagyang nag-angat ng tingin para tingnan ang nangyayari, pero sa huli ay kapwa na sila sumubsob sa lupa at tinakpan ang kanilang mga ulo.

"That's cheating," bulong ni Casper.

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko at napalingon sa kambal ko na nakatago rin sa tabi ko. "Y-you're here."

He nodded. "I saw you running to the forest. Might as well join the commotion."

Halos hindi kami kumurap ni Casper sa labanan nila, ngunit agad nahuli ni ama ang kamay at paa nina Finn at Dastan. Ilang beses niyang inikot ang dalawa hanggang sa ihagis niya ang mga katawan nito sa mga puno.

Tila maduduwal si Caleb nang makita iyon. "Hindi ba nakakahilo iyon?"

Father always had that friendly and warm smile for everyone. He was sweet and loving— everyone admired him. I was proud to be the daughter of the most admired king in the history of vampires. But now that I'd see him below the moonlight, without that smile, he looked so scary.

"Get up."

Isang salita lang iyon ni ama, ngunit ang mga kapatid ko na hinang-hina na ay pilit pa rin tumatayo. "Get up." Ulit niya.

Muling pinagsalikop ni ama ang dalawa niyang kamay sa kanyang likuran habang pinagmamasdan niya na unti-unting tumatayo ang mga kapatid ko sa harapan niya.

"There will be a time that my sons will be enough in this empire— and each of you would be better than any army."

Nang sandaling tuluyan nang tumayo ang mga kapatid ko matapos iyon sabihin ni ama, doon ko muling saksihan ang madalas na ekspresyon niya.

Our father tilted his head and smiled brightly at my brothers. The moonlight traced his silhouette, casting a radiant glow that mirrored the gleam in our eyes.

Hindi lang ang mga kapatid kong nasa harap ni ama ang nakatitig sa kanya, dahil nang sandaling lumingon ako kay Casper ay ganoon na rin ang tingin niya kay ama.

It was filled with fascination and respect that I didn't seem to understand at a young age.

"Is that a promise, sons?"

Sunod-sunod na lumuhod at yumuko ang mga kapatid ko sa harap ni ama ng gabing iyon.

I was still young when I heard those words from my father, but as I grew older, I realized that it was his mission to seize the exploitation of young vampires as the kingdom's knights.

And I couldn't be proud because King Dastan Lancelot Gazellian seized it the moment he officially sat on his throne— hindi lang sa Sartorias kundi sa buong Nemetio Spiran.

"Zen as my general and the rest of my brothers are even more worthy than thousands of innocent young lives on the battlefield." Ito ang salitang madalas sinasabi ni Dastan sa lahat.

Zen had been on the frontline in every war because that was his promise not just for Dastan but for our father.

END OF FLASHBACK

***

Marahan kong hinaplos ng ilang daliri ko ang litratong hawak ko at nanatili iyon kay Livius, dahil ako ang siyang nagtulak sa kanyang palayain ang sarili niya at sumunod sa patakaran ng kaharian.

I pushed Livius to run away and live free from the law of the empire. Wala na akong narinig na balita sa kanya nang sandaling magpaalam siya sa akin at ang malaman na siya ay naging kaibigan nina Desmond at Kreios . . .

Napakaliit talaga ng mundo.

Naupo na ako sa kama at nanatili akong nakatitig sa litratong iyon. Kumusta na kaya siya? Bakit hindi ko man lang siya narinig mula kina Kreios o Desmond?

Habang iniisip ko ang lahat ng pinagdaanan namin sa nakaraan ay bigla nang nabuksan ang pintuan. Malawak ang ngiti ni Kreios ngunit unti-unti rin iyong nawala ng makita niyang may hawak akong litrato.

Agad siyang nakalapit sa akin at kinuha niya ang litrato.

"Kilala mo si Livius, Kreios?"

Agad siyang lumingon sa akin na may nagtatakang mga mata. "Kilala mo siya?"

"He was a friend. Nasaan siya?"

Nag-iwas siya ng tingin sa akin at inilagay niya muli sa aklat niya ang larawan nilang tatlo. "He's dead."